The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Ogele Okaba, has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that previously disqualified presidential aspirants in the forthcoming INC election have been cleared to contest.
Okaba described the reports as mere rumours, stressing that he had not received any official communication from the INC Electoral Committee (ELECO) confirming such a development.
Speaking while responding to questions from journalists, the INC president said that the earlier decision by ELECO to disqualify two presidential aspirants and others was based on provisions of the INC constitution and available evidence at the time.
He explained that although he had seen videos and statements circulating on social media suggesting that the affected aspirants had been cleared, the electoral body had not formally notified him or the leadership of the congress about any change in status.
According to him, ELECO has a moral responsibility to explain to the Ijaw people the reasons behind any reversal of its earlier decision if such a change has indeed occurred.
Okaba said the committee must clarify whether the decision was based on provisions of the INC constitution or other regulations outside the constitution.
The INC president further referenced a previous court ruling involving Professor Adenyinka in 2019, which addressed eligibility issues within the organisation.
He noted that the judgment in that case clearly stated that because the individual involved was not a registered member of the INC, he was not qualified to lead any organ of the congress or act on its behalf.
While acknowledging the controversy surrounding the issue, Okaba said he would refrain from making further comments until ELECO provides an official explanation.
He also dismissed allegations that the INC leadership was interfering in the work of the electoral committee.
Okaba maintained that the electoral body was constituted as an independent committee and had been given full responsibility to conduct the election.
He explained that the stakeholders’ meeting recently held with aspirants, ELECO members and other stakeholders—including the state Commissioner for Ijaw Affairs was merely an appraisal session to assess the level of preparedness of the committee and address concerns raised by participants.
According to him, the meeting was not intended to influence the committee’s decisions.
“I have never interfered with the work of ELECO. They were given the responsibility to conduct the INC election this year and I expect them to perform their duties professionally,” he said.
On the conduct of the election, Okaba disclosed that ELECO had earlier informed stakeholders that the results of the election would be electronically transmitted in real time.
He explained that the system would allow results to be displayed immediately as voting progresses, in line with global best practices aimed at enhancing transparency and credibility.
However, he noted that some stakeholders had expressed reservations about the use of electronic transmission, adding that the reasons for their concerns were not yet clear.
Okaba nonetheless expressed confidence in technology, stating that despite possible loopholes in any human-made system, technological advancements have significantly improved the credibility and reliability of electoral processes.
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